Surge in electric vehicles and charging stations

The number of electric vehicle charging stations has surged by 70 per cent in the past year, as the number of battery-powered cars increases to more than 170,000.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

The number of electric vehicle charging stations has surged by 70 per cent in the past year, as the number of battery-powered cars increases to more than 170,000.

New government figures reveal there are now around 800 fast and ultra-fat charging locations operating nationwide, an increase from 464 since December last year.

With state and commonwealth governments ramping up investment in public charging infrastructure, Labor expects another 1000 fast-charging locations will be brought online within the next three years.

The new data has prompted Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen to claim more high-speed electric vehicle chargers have been installed in the past 18 months than were built in nine years under the ­Coalition.

However, the Albanese government has fallen behind on its EV targets after department officials predicted fewer than a third of new car sales would be battery operated by 2030.

The latest estimates from the federal transport department are that electric cars will make up 27 per cent of new car sales by 2030, well below the 89 per cent forecast in Labor’s pre-election modelling that helped boost its 43 per cent emissions reduction target.

The 89 per cent prediction in Labor’s modelling conducted by RepuTex was based on Anthony Albanese’s pre-election policies that have been implemented since the government was elected, including exempting electric cars from import tariffs and fringe ­benefit taxes.

The department also estimates electric cars will account for 5 per cent of nation’s small vehicle fleet by 2030, a third below Labor’s pre-election modelling of 15 per cent.

The nation’s top employer groups – the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Australia Industry Group – have warned EVs will make little to no contribution to meeting 2030 emissions reductions targets due to high costs and a lack of charging infrastructure.

But Mr Bowen told The Weekend Australian more people were saving money on EVs due to Labor’s battery-operated car tax discount, which he said had seen EV sales surge to 8.3 per cent of new cars in 2023.

This is up from EVs making up just 2 per cent of new car sales in May last year.

“The Albanese government is improving access for Australians to drive cleaner, cheaper-to-run cars, while helping households and businesses save thousands,” Mr Bowen said.

“There’s been a 70 per cent increase in EV charging locations this year alone – helping address the needs of Aussie drivers in regional and suburban communities and reducing wait times for tens of thousands of EV drivers.

“More and more households and businesses are saving thousands of dollars on the upfront and running costs of their vehicles, with our EV discount making leasing EVs and plug-in hybrids cheaper than leasing petrol vehicles in many circumstances.”